About TrueRate
TrueRate is a free calculator that shows freelancers the difference between the rate they charge and the money they actually keep. This page explains why the tool exists, who it is for, and the thinking behind the numbers it produces.
Why we built it
Most freelancers set their rate by copying what other people charge or by loosely comparing it to a salary they once had. Both approaches hide a hard truth: the headline rate you quote a client is not the amount you take home. Platform fees, income tax, unpaid working hours, time off, and the running costs of a one-person business all take a share before anything reaches your bank account. We built TrueRate because we kept seeing capable freelancers underprice their work simply because no one had shown them the full arithmetic in one place.
The goal is not to tell anyone what to charge. It is to make the trade-offs visible. When you can see that a $75 headline rate becomes closer to $35 after everything comes out, you can make a deliberate decision instead of an optimistic guess. That clarity is the entire point of the tool.
Who TrueRate is for
TrueRate is built for any independent worker who bills by their time: developers, designers, writers, consultants, marketers, translators, photographers, and everyone in between. It does not assume a particular trade. Whether you find clients directly, through a marketplace like Upwork or Fiverr, or through a vetted network, the calculator lets you model the fees and conditions that apply to your situation.
It is equally useful for two moments in a freelance career: setting a rate for the first time, and sanity-checking an existing rate that has not been revisited in a while. In both cases, working backward from real take-home pay tends to produce a healthier number than starting from a headline figure.
How the calculator thinks about your rate
TrueRate follows a simple, transparent sequence. It starts from the hours you can realistically bill in a year, multiplies them by your gross rate to get revenue, then subtracts platform commission, income tax, and operating costs in that order. What remains, divided by your billed hours, is your real take-home rate. Every input is adjustable, so the result reflects your circumstances rather than an average that fits no one.
We deliberately kept the tax handling honest rather than precise. The tax percentage is a rough, adjustable starting point based on your country, not a calculation of your actual liability. Real tax depends on income level, deductions, local rules, and whether self-employment or social contributions apply. TrueRate is a planning aid, not a substitute for a qualified accountant.
Privacy by design
TrueRate runs entirely in your browser. There is no account, no login, and no server that receives your numbers. Everything you type is processed locally and discarded when you close the page. We think a tool that asks about your income should not quietly collect it. You can read the full details in our privacy policy.
Keeping it free
The calculator is free to use and will stay that way. To cover hosting and continued development, the site may display advertising. That is the only commercial element; the tool itself never gates features behind a payment or a sign-up.
Get in touch
We are always interested in how freelancers use the tool and what would make it more useful. If you have feedback, spot an error, or want to suggest a feature, the contact page lists the best way to reach us. If you are new to pricing your work, our guides walk through the concepts behind the calculator in more depth.